Glowing Embers
by Angel From Above Is Here
Summary: Erin Strauss helps the BAU's Alpha team to solve a case. She ends up starting the procedure to adopt a deaf boy. It seems like she might be in over her head just a little. Especially when you add Aaron Hotchner to the mix. But exactly how is he involved? And does she want him to be in her life? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is my first Erin/Aaron story. I guess it's my way of dealing with the season eight finale, since I like both Aaron/Erin and David/Erin and I hate the fact they killed her off. I might write a sequel to this. If you'd like that, leave me some ideas I can work with. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as is constructive criticism!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Else, Erin Strauss would have had more screen time and she'd still be alive.**

**Chapter One**

_Man's nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has been known to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature. Mahatma Gandhi._

As Erin Strauss made her way towards Aaron Hotchner's team, she was not surprised to see their mouths drop open. They hadn't been informed she was coming, after all. It had been a quick decision when word had reached her and her superiors their latest case involved a deaf six-year-old boy.

"Section Chief Strauss," Aaron said, bowing his head in respect. He seemed not at all fazed by her arrival. Erin was grateful for it; it would make it easier for the team to accept she was accompanying them.

"Agents," she greeted them, choosing to include everyone in one go. They knew she knew all their names, and it was faster like this; she'd barely made it to the airport in time as it was.

She gestured towards the jet. Another nod from Aaron was all it took for the team to begin moving. She waited until everyone was on board of the plane before boarding herself. Already, the thought of flying made her feel a little queasy.

As she had expected, everyone had already paired off. Morgan was sitting next to Blake. Reid was in front of Morgan, with JJ beside him. Aaron and David were sitting opposite each other. That meant she would have to sit next to one of them or separate herself entirely from the team. As she was there to help, that wouldn't do. Sighing inwardly, she sat down beside Aaron. David would only goad her and they would end up bickering. Aaron was the safer choice.

"Let's go over what we know, okay? We have a three quarter flight ahead, enough time to discuss some theories. First of all, the victims. There were a man and a woman, both killed by deep lacerations and stab wounds," Aaron began.

Erin listened closely. She only knew the basics, and she would need more to work with if she wanted to be an asset instead of a burden.

"There are no signs of hesitation. The lacerations are methodical, all equal in length and depth. The stab wounds follow the same pattern. They are also located around the major arteries, the victims would have bled out in less than three minutes. That indicates an in depth knowledge of anatomy," Reid spoke.

Erin nodded her agreement, even though she was unsure whether anyone was actually paying attention to her. Her eyes were focused on the folder Aaron was holding, on the picture the others were looking at as well. Suddenly, she noticed something.

"There are no injuries to the hands or wrists. It looks like they didn't defend themselves," she pointed out, unable to stop herself.

"That might have something to do with the boy the EMTs found at the crime scene. So far they haven't been able to get him to talk, so they can't be sure, but they think he might be the son. It's possible the UnSub used him as leverage," Blake said. Erin could feel everyone looking at her.

Looking at Aaron, she extended a hand. Wordlessly, he handed over his file. She flipped a few pages until she found the photograph of the boy. He was covered in blood, he was staring in the distance without seeing a thing. It broke her heart to see him like that. He reminded her so much of her own children when they were younger.

"That boy's the reason I'm here. I was contacted by my superiors. The EMTs discovered the boy is deaf. Since only agent Blake knows sign language, I was asked to come along, because I do to. That way agent Blake can help you while I tend to the boy," Erin explained her presence.

Reid's mouth was wide open. Blake blinked stupidly a few times. Morgan seemed to forget who she was for a second, quirking an eyebrow at her. Aaron was also surprised, but it appeared he was pleasantly surprised. David just grinned.

"There's a lot you don't know about her," he said, a disturbing twinkle in his eyes that made him seem years younger.

Erin groaned almost inaudibly. It was obvious she hadn't been mistaken when she though this case might hold more than a few hurdles for her. She quickly fixed David with the most intimidating stare she could muster. She failed miserably, but pretended not to noticed.

"Let's keep it that way a little longer. We should all take some rest or read the case files again. We'll have our work cut out for us when we arrive. There's a child that needs our help and a murdered we need to catch," she said.

The rest of the plane ride passed in almost utter silence. Not the tense kind, it was simply easier for everyone to focus on what they had in front of them. Aaron and she shared his file, which the man seemed at least relatively comfortable with. Relatively, because is posture was slightly less relaxed than usual.

Right before they landed, Garcia called to say the victims' names were Rebecca Eastwood and Simon Wells. She'd so far been unable to find any evidence their lives had ever intersected, but she was still looking. The boy, Arthur Combs, had been Rebecca's foster child for the last year.

When Erin finally stepped out of the plane, the cold wind blew her hair across her face. She quickly fished an elastic out of her pocket, pulling it into a lose pony tail. With her dark jeans and blouse she had to be looking rather different, but she didn't mind. She would be a lot more hands-on this time around, and these clothes were more comfortable than the skirts and dresses she usually wore to work.

"You should join us," David's voice suddenly sounded. "We'll be heading out to the crime scene while the others divide and visit the victims' parents."

Erin nodded, following David to the car. He ushered her onto the front seat while he slid into the back. It was so unlike David that she was about to ask him about his reasons, but she held back. There was no need to create an argument, so she wouldn't.

A quarter of an hour later they were greeted by the hustle and bustle of police cars, an ambulance and the medical examiner. In all the chaos, Erin immediately noticed one person was sitting unmoving. Arthur was sitting in a circle formed by two EMTs and three agents. His head was on his knees, his arms protectively around his head.

"Oh, for the love of god," she muttered, pushing open the card door as soon as Aaron stopped. She flashed her badge before anyone could even open their mouth and moved straight for the boy.

The EMTs and police officers were so focused on Arthur they didn't even hear her until she was right beside them and cleared her throat. Again, she showed her badge. There was no mistaking how displeased she was. But there was no malice in her behaviour, only concern for the boy.

"I want all of you gone. I bet there are more important things for you to do than harassing this boy. He's been through enough. He needs someone to comfort him and tell him everything will be alright in the end. Give me a few minutes with him. He might want to talk after that," she said.

Soon enough they were all gone. Erin could feel Aaron and David looking at her as she crouched down before the boy. She didn't pay any attention to them, though. Instead, she gently tapped the boy's left knee. When he didn't look up, she did it again. A smile graced her lips when Arthur kicked at her lightly, trying to spook her and make her leave.

She caught his foot and playfully tugged at it. This made Arthur lift his head. His eyes went wide when he saw a woman and not the police officers an EMTs that had been there before. She let go of his foot, shifting so she was a little closer to him. She slowly raised her hands.

"Hello, Arthur. My name is Erin. I'm with the FBI, that's how I know your name. I hear you don't want to talk to these people here. Why is that ?" she asked, signing the words while she spoke. She was a little slower than she'd have liked, but she was accurate.

Arthur's hand came up, moving gracefully and swift._ They only want me to tell them who did this. But I don't know. They don't understand what I say. It makes them angry. I'm not important. Rebecca and that man are_, he signed. Unshed tears shone in his eyes.

Erin squeezed his knee. She understood the officers had been angry with themselves for not being able to speak to the boy, and not with the boy himself. She got how that would make him feel unimportant.

"You are important, sweetheart. That's why we're here," Erin said, indicating David and Aaron as well as herself. "We're here to let you tell us what you know. To help you. Will you let us do that?" she asked.

As she spoke, Aaron walked over to them. He sank down next to her, so close their legs touched. Erin didn't feel the urge to pull away like she would have with anyone else. That had to do with the fact she liked Aaron a hell of a lot more than she should. Aaron had supported her when she had trouble in her marriage and when she went to rehab. And she had realized she would want him in her life for the good times as well as the bad.

Fortunately, she was dragged out of her thoughts by Arthur. _Yes, I will let you help me. You seem nice. But only on one condition. You have to promise no one will hurt me anymore. I don't want to have to be afraid anymore, _Arthur admitted. He worried his bottom lip as he signed.

As she told Aaron what the boy had said, she saw the anger she felt reflected in the man's eyes. He was probably reminded of his son Jack; Erin knew he loved that boy with all his heart. A by now very familiar warm feeling spread in her stomach as she watched him. _Damn, woman, get a grip. The man doesn't love you. He isn't even attracted to you. Bury those feelings before you make a fool out of yourself_, she sternly told herself.

"We promise we'll keep you safe, buddy," Aaron said, his fingers under the boy's chin to make sure he was looking at his lips. It seemed the boy at least had some lip-reading skills, as he smiled brilliantly.

The moment was broken, though, when Arthur yawned suddenly. A look at her watch told Erin he had good reason to: it was three in the morning. The boy probably hadn't slept much yet. And the bench he was on couldn't be very comfortable.

Making a decision, Erin rose and motioned for one of the EMTs. The man immediately approached her, his medicine bag still slung over his shoulder. It seemed he'd watching the boy discreetly, ready to come running to him at the first sign of trouble. That thought was comforting.

"Would it be okay for him to sleep a little? He's tired and he's been through a lot. But I don't know anything about his injuries, so…" she let her voice trail off, knowing it would convey her feelings well enough.

The EMT thought about that for a second. From the corner of her eye, Erin saw Arthur holding on to Aaron's hand as he attempted to get closer to her as well. Erin took his hand in hers, eliciting a smile and making his fidgeting stop.

"He doesn't seem to have any head injuries. We checked that out straight away. We can't be one hundred percent certain he doesn't have any bleedings until he gets a scan, though. Especially since we haven't been able to ask him anything. If he didn't bump his head or hurt it in any other way, I'd be willing to let him rest. As long as someone stays with him," the EMT added.

Erin sank down to Arthur's level again. She let go of his hand, bringing it up to communicate with him. She translated as soon as the boy answered her question. She noticed that her signing hadn't quite been as rusty as she'd feared.

"He says he didn't faint or hurt his head in any way. He was in another room when the fight happened. He didn't even know what was going on until he went to look for Rebecca to ask whether he could go to bed. It was then that the man pushed him against the wall, but his elbow was the only part of him to get hurt," she said, a sense of relief floating over her.

David approached them as the EMT told Erin it was fine for the boy to sleep a little. He did warn her that Arthur would probably wake up when he was carried to the ambulance, which would be shortly.

Arthur had apparently followed the exchange with rapt attention, because he immediately had a question for Erin. One that surprised her more than a little. _Can I sleep on your lap? I'm a little cold_, Arthur admitted shyly.

"Of course you can," she said, pulling the boy up. She shrugged out of her jacket as soon as he was comfortable and draped it over him. The cold bit harder than she'd expected, but she ignored it.

_Rebecca always said I was too old to be on her lap. She never liked me. She only wanted me because she got money for me. That's what she said_, Arthur signed. It made Erin shudder to hear that, and she quickly pressed a kiss to the boy's head.

Aaron walked away only to return a little later with a rather large blanket. He draped it over Erin and Arthur, tucking it in around them. The boy sighed contently and snuggled closer to Erin. She tightened her hold on him reflexively. Within minutes, his breathing slowed and evened out, indicating he was fast asleep.

"Thank you for the blanket," she said, smiling at Aaron. The man smiled back and settled beside her on the bench. David did the same on her other side.

For a second they sat in silence, ignoring the voices and commotion around them. But they all knew there was work to be done. So David eventually spoke up, dragging the other two back to the scene. Because they understood the need, they didn't complain.

"What have the two of you been able to find out so far? Anything that might be useful?" David asked, not even trying to hide the hopeful note to his voice.

Erin gave him a quick recap of what Arthur had told her. David took it in with a few nods and non-committal sounds. If she hadn't know the man as well as she did, she might have mistakenly thought he was not interested. But she knew he was only processing it all and that he was angry such a sweet child had been put through this.

"What about you? Have you got anything we can work with? I bet some fingerprints must have been lifted by now, and there has to be some indication as to where the man who did this entered," Aaron said as soon as Erin was done.

"Yeah. He entered through Rebecca's bedroom window. As far as I can tell Simon was in bed with her; the guest room wasn't being used. It looks like Simon was murdered first. I don't think Rebecca wouldn't have done what the UnSub asked for Arthur's sake, so it's likely he used Simon as leverage. Rebecca might have done what he asked, but he might have murdered him anyway because that was his endgame: murdering them both," David told them.

Erin mulled that over for a second. They had some information that could lead them to the murderer, but they would need more. It was a start, though.

"So he probably didn't know them personally. Else, he would have known they'd let him in. Or she would have, if she simply picked Simon up in a club or something. But he knew she was home. He must have followed her. Maybe he even stalked her for a while," she thought out loud.

David and Aaron let that sink in for a while. As they did, she absently stroked Arthur's back. It was strange to have the boy connect to her so easily, and at the same time it was a true honour. She just hoped she'd be able to help him as much as he seemed to think she could.

"He probably did stalk her. He probably wouldn't have acted this soon if she hadn't brought a man home, though. The pictures show uncontrolled rage and overkill. On both of them, which indicates jealousy and anger towards both of them. But we also have to take into account it might not have been about her. If it was, he could have easily waited to kill her until she was on her own. To spend time with her and try to get her to act out his fantasy. He doesn't seem to have done that. And this was not very organized: there are footsteps in the blood, the knife he used is still on the floor," Aaron pointed out.

There was no more time to think that over as the EMT Erin had motion over before reappeared. It was only now that Erin realized how tired the young man, whose name was Greg according to his badge, looked. He'd probably had a long and unpleasant night.

"We're ready to take him to the hospital. I already said you'll be going with him. My colleagues are fine with that," Greg said.

Erin smiled gratefully before standing up. As Greg had predicted, Arthur woke up because of the movement. He looked around frantically for a second. When his eyes focused on Erin, he calmed. And when he noticed Aaron, he extended a hand towards the man. Aaron took it without question, squeezing the boy's fingers lightly.

"Come on. I'm sure they won't mind you coming along as well. And if they do, well, they'll have to learn to live with it. Because I don't think that boy's letting go of either one of you anytime soon," Greg chuckled.

After making sure David would be fine, Erin and Aaron walked over to the ambulance. The ride was a short one; five minutes later they were in the emergency department and Arthur was being checked in.

Another ten minutes later they were in his room. The boy was sound asleep again, comforted by the fact Erin had told him Aaron and she weren't going anywhere. He was so at ease now that he didn't even wake up as the doctor looked him over.

"He doesn't have any really severe injuries. There's a lot of bruising, but that should heal within the next two weeks. Some of the bruising is older, which is why we've done the portable x-rays. Those show he's broken quite a few bones in the last year," doctor Marsh said as soon as he was done.

"Thank you, doctor. When will he be allowed to leave the hospital?" Erin asked, hoping for some good news.

"In a day or three, if you can guarantee he has someone to look after him. Else, we'll keep him here for a little longer until a foster family can be found," the doctor said.

Erin sat down on the chair beside Arthur's bed as soon as the doctor was gone. She sincerely hoped she would be able to find suitable accommodations for the child in such a short span of time. He would need her help in working through this, so that might prove a little tricky.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Aaron move over the second chair and positioned it right next to hers. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke, his hand laying close to Arthur's on the bed by then.

"You should show this caring side of you more often, you know. It's a good side," he said, his eyes fixed on the boy.

For once in her life, Erin had no smart remark to throw at him in return. Instead, she gaped at him with her mouth open for a whole minute straight before choosing to focus on Arthur.

But the question why Aaron would say something like that to her did not leave her mind. It was still there when she finally gave into sleep at six. As was Aaron himself.

_It's a man's own mind, not his enemy of foe, that lures him to evil ways. Buddha._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is chapter two, my dear readers! I want to thank everyone who left me a review or read this story so far. I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter as much as the first one! As always: let me know what you thought about it. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, alas. And I don't think I ever will, either.**

**Chapter Two**

_There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. Walt Streightiff_

Erin entered the hospital feeling very nervous. She really hoped she was making the right decision. This entire thing could blow up in her face. She hadn't told her children what she was planning on doing. The only one who knew was David. He'd been very supportive, had told her it was the right thing to do.

When she reached Arthur's room she found Aaron by his side. Apparently, they were having fun with a deck of cards. It seemed Aaron wasn't very good at building card houses, while Arthur was. Or maybe Aaron's houses kept tumbling down because Arthur was more interested in blowing them down.

"Hey there," she said with a smile, drawing Aaron's attention to her. Arthur followed quickly, waving hello at her straight away.

She walked over to the bed, settling herself next to Arthur. He was immediately on her lap. She made him turn around so she could sign at him, though. And all the while she hoped things would turn out for the best.

"Are you ready to go home?" Erin asked him. The corners of Aaron's mouth twitched a little. Erin didn't pay much attention to that, though. She was focused on Arthur's sad face. It really pained her heart.

_Where is home? I don't have a home anymore. Never really did, either_, he told her. His bottom lip trembled and tears sprung into his eyes. Erin brushed them away with her thumb as soon as they started to fall.

"Home is where I live," she said and signed, knowing she shouldn't exclude Aaron from the conversation. It would be far easier to let his team know she was taking this boy home through him and David than to tell them herself. They'd all been in to visit Arthur, but she'd always found an excuse not to be around them. She didn't want to make things awkward around Arthur.

Arthur's face lit up as he threw himself into her arms. The soft "oof!" she let out at the unexpectedly hard contact made Aaron chuckle. It was very difficult to keep herself from blushing when she realized just how much she liked hearing Aaron make that sound.

"Come on, let's get you packed and ready to go," she said.

With Aaron's help it took her all of five minutes to pick up the bear the team had brought from his house, a few books they'd found and sign the discharge papers. When they were on the sunny street, she felt Arthur relax.

"You should let your team know we'll be traveling with one more," Erin said to Aaron. They'd solved the case the day before. The paperwork could be done at home, so they'd decided to head home today.

"They already know. Dave told us about your intentions. The team is expecting all three of us. Oh, and he called your children as well. He thought they should have a heads up. He says they said they will be visiting in two weeks," Aaron told her, smiling fully.

So now she knew why he'd nearly smiled in that hospital room. She shook her head, smiling herself. She should have known David would do something like that. And he'd been right to do it, too. Irene, Maya and Travis would need some time to wrap their heads around this. The girls were in their twenties and Travis was nineteen, and all of a sudden she was adding another child to the family.

She let Aaron guide her over to the car. Not that she had much of a choice with Arthur holding Aaron's hand from his position on her hip. Arthur used his other hand to toy with a stray strand of her hair. As he wasn't pulling it, she let him get away with it.

Erin sat Arthur down on the booster seat, nodding her head gratefully at Aaron as she did that. She'd feared they'd have to get one before they could head home. After all, Arthur wasn't tall or old enough yet not to use a booster seat. When she was certain the boy was buckled in perfectly, she closed the door and slid in herself.

Aaron turned on the car. He didn't bother to change the radio station, and Erin was okay with that; she liked all kinds of music. And it was a great distraction from her fear as to how the team would react.

It seemed her companion noticed her unease, because he squeezed her knee for a second before returning both his hands to the steering wheel. Without really caring for the consequences she returned the gesture, letting a smile spread across her face. Aaron smiled too and didn't seem unhappy with her actions.

_Maybe we can be friends after all_, Erin allowed herself to think. _Who knows?_ It would be more than she'd ever dared to hope for. Aaron would never be interested in her in a romantic way. She had nothing in common with Haley, or with Beth, the first woman he'd dated after his wife's death.

Too soon for her liking they were at the airport. Aaron let her get out slowly, helping Arthur out of the car. Seeing the boy tug at Aaron, Erin realized Arthur was asking for something. As soon as the boy noticed she was looking, he signed at her quickly.

"He wants you to carry him on your back," she told Aaron. "He's never done that before. He also wants me to walk next to you so he has me close too," she added after another set of gestured.

Aaron was quick to sink down so Arthur could clamber onto his back. There was a smile on the man's face when he stood up again. Erin mirrored it; it was a beautiful sight. She'd known the man looked good with a child on his arm from the moment he'd brought Jack to the office for the first time. But it had been a while since she'd seen him interacting with a child now; since she'd visited after Haley's funeral, to be exact.

When they stepped onto the jet, they were greeted by a pile of presents. It warmed her heart to see the entire team had thought about what Arthur needed. The boy himself beamed with happiness when she signed that the presents were for him. _Thank you_! He signed back with such joy that no one could keep from smiling.

"I'd like to help him open his presents if I could," Spencer said as he watched Arthur disappear behind a veritable cloud of paper as he attacked the first gift. Erin was touched by his admission. Spencer was only a few years older than her eldest, Irene, and he was so innocent still.

"You could have asked him whether he'd like the help. Surely you can't think I would have stopped you?" she wondered. It was painful to see the effect her Ice Queen façade was having, even now that it was finally coming off.

"It's just that I usually don't mix well with others and children don't like me. I thought maybe you wouldn't want to take the risk of me setting of a tantrum. I have been known to do that, you know," Spencer explained.

Erin laughed out loud at that, genuinely liking the honesty with which Spencer was treating her. As soon as Spencer realized she wasn't laughing because she thought he was ridiculous, he joined in. Aaron also appeared and settled next to her, wearing a smile. The man never missed anything.

"You mean the Reid-effect? Oh, sweetie, I don't always mix too well with others either. But that doesn't mean we can't try, right? It doesn't make you any less good a person. And about that tantrum: if he throws one, then I'll deal with it. I had to do it with Irene, Maya and Travis as well. I trust you won't set him off, though. I bet he'll like you a lot," she said.

It wasn't until Spencer had disappeared that she realized she'd used a pet name for the young genius. The others were ignoring it, though, so she didn't think she'd made a big mistake. And with that thought, she began to watch the newest addition to her family unwrap more present.

Arthur ended up with a beautiful grey elephant teddy from Garcia. She'd had it delivered to the hotel they were staying in so it would be on time. Arthur immediately announced he'd never be sleeping without it from that day onward. When Garcia called later on, he blew her a kiss. Garcia caught it and planted it on her cheek before turning of the phone.

Morgan gave the boy a ball to play with. Arthur punched his fist in the air and gave Derek a high five. Erin suggested Arthur ask Derek for some fun games to play with the ball. The boy didn't have to be asked twice, so she ended up translating for ten minutes.

JJ had bought the boy a pair of pants and a t-shirt. Erin had Arthur change into them; the clothes he was wearing were a little too large after all. They'd belonged to her youngest, and she'd grabbed them before leaving home because she'd seen the state of the boy's clothes. Arthur blew her a kiss too.

David had bought a superman bedspread and the likes. As soon as she saw it, Erin knew it would be going on Arthur's bed. David was rewarded with a handshake, which made everyone giggle.

Blake had ended up buying a funny set of pyjama's. _I'm the king_ was writing on the front. On the back were the words _of my own dream world!_ Erin didn't doubt Arthur would be wearing those PJ's to bed that evening. When she told Alex that, the woman graced her with the first real smile they'd shared since Alex had joined the team.

Aaron's gift was _The Little Prince_. It had pictures as well as text. Arthur would be able to read it himself or Erin would be able to sign it out for him. It was obvious the man had spent quite some time searching for this book, a book Arthur hadn't read before. Arthur ran over to Aaron and crawled into his lap, hugging him tightly. The team cheared for Aaron, making the man smile a little.

Spencer had bought a puzzle. An easy one for children, of course. Erin was glad this was the last present to have been opened, because Arthur spend a good while looking at the picture on the box and made plans to start on the puzzle as soon as he was home.

"Well, it seems I'm the last one to hand you your present, sweetheart," Erin said and signed as soon as she managed to get the boy's attention. Arthur walked over to her then, dragging Spencer along.

Rummaging in her bag, she extracted a photograph. She handed it to the boy after signing he couldn't look at it just yet. Then, she told him that she couldn't have the real present here, and that he would understand why when he looked at the picture.

As soon as he turned it over, he flung himself around Erin's neck and hopped up and down on her lap. She couldn't help but giggle very unlike the Erin all the people there knew, but she couldn't have cared less.

JJ was the one to pick up the picture Arthur had dropped. She immediately understood his excitement. It was a photograph of a grey and black kitten of about three months old. It was sleeping curled up on a pillow.

"Henry's been nagging me for a pet as well. Maybe I'll have him share this kitten with Arthur for a while. That way I can see whether it would be a good idea to get him one as well. If you'd like for them to have a play date once in a while, that is," JJ quickly added.

"I'd like that a lot, actually. I'll translate and teach them some sign language so they can play together. Jack's always welcome, too. It would be good for Arthur to have some normal interaction with other children," Erin said.

"I think we'll all have to learn sign language," Spencer suddenly said. "I mean, we're not just going to walk out of his life. We'd like to see more of him. And if we want to be able to talk to him, we'll have to learn to use sign language."

Erin could feel the tears burning in the corners of her eyes. She felt Aaron rest his hand on top of her right hand and another hand came to rest on her knee. She immediately knew it was David's. The others wouldn't feel comfortable enough around her to touch her. It surprised her that Aaron did.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to people actually being nice to me. The BAU is a man's world still and I've had to put on the Ice Queen façade for so long that people think that's who I am. And my ex-husband wasn't exactly kind either. I know some of it is my fault, but still. Thank you," she murmured, her voice constricting with emotions.

David wrapped his arms around her, and Aaron followed his lead. The others watched them, not yet ready for such a show of affection. She hoped that she would really become a part of the family, though. These people were kind, gentle and strong. And that was the kind of people she wanted to be surrounded with.

"Feeling better now?" Aaron whispered in her ear when he let go. she swayed into him a little, trying to prolong the contact. Arthur, who was still on her lap, latched onto Aaron's hand straight away.

"Yeah, I do feel better," she admitted. Her chest was less tight than it had been before. She felt much more like the free, fun version of herself she had been until her ex-husband began treating her like a bag of useless dirt.

The rest of the flight home passed in silence. Arthur spent it by reading Aaron's book in the man's lap. Erin watched him, glad to be out of the spotlights for a while.

When they landed, Erin and Arthur said goodbye to Aaron. Arthur was sad to see the man go, but he understood when Aaron explained he had to be with his own son. And he calmed even further when Erin reminded him she would be with him.

"Don't forget to call we if there's anything I can do," Aaron said for the twentieth time. The sincerity in his voice was a balm to her soul.

"Actually, I could use some help turning one of the children's teenage bedrooms into one appropriate for Arthur. Would you help me do the painting and decorating? I'd ask my other children, but they won't be here for another two weeks. I don't think it's fair to make Arthur wait that long," she said, biting her bottom lip.

It was entirely possible she was crossing a myriad of lines by asking him this. Aaron might have shown he'd like to be her friend, but that didn't mean he wanted to spend time at her place this soon. It soon turned out she shouldn't have worried.

"Of course I'll help! How about Saturday? That's in three days and it's a weekend day, which means I could bring Jack without having to wonder about leaving on time to get him to bed. How does that sound?" he wanted to know.

"It sounds wonderful. I'll get the paint and other stuff and then we can set about making that room into Arthur's room. Maybe we can even let the boys help us. Or else they can play in the garden," she said.

Aaron and she smiled at each other and said their goodbyes. An hour later, Erin finally pulled into her driveway. It was seven in the evening already by then. She ushered Arthur inside.

"Come on. It's nearly bedtime for you. Let's have a sandwich and then I'll show you where you'll be sleeping. I'll show you the rest of the house tomorrow. And the kitten, because it seems she's playing outside," she promised as she led Arthur to the kitchen.

Without complaining the boy ate his sandwich with cheese and some tomato soup her neighbour had left in her fridge that morning (according to the note stuck to the side). She did the same, glad Marjorie had read the text she'd sent and had been kind enough to provide some food.

After they were done, Erin set the bowls and spoons in the sink with the glasses and the knife she'd used to prepare the sandwiches. She'd do the dishes later; she wanted to get Arthur settled first.

So she took him up the stairs and to the room that was to be his. It was right beside hers so he would be able to get to her quickly if he wasn't feeling well or he was scared. When she pushed open the door, Arthur quickly stepped inside.

The smile on his face made signing unnecessary. She was glad he liked the room already. But there was no time to play. It was eight by now and he needed to be put to bed. So she told him to get out of his clothes. In the mean while she walked back to the car and retrieved the bags filled with the presents he'd been given.

_Here are your pyjamas. You should get into them while I get your teddy out. After that, it's into bed and lights out. Else, you'll sleep the day away tomorrow_, she signed, not bothering to form the words.

Within minutes, Arthur had changed into his pyjamas and was in bed. Erin tucked the covers in around him, placed his teddy in his waiting arms and pressed a small kiss to his forehead. Arthur kissed her cheek in return.

"Goodnight, Arthur. See you tomorrow," she said and signed. It felt a little odd to be caring for a child this young after so many years, but she was glad her maternal instinct was still as strong as she'd hoped.

Arthur wished her a good night as well. Before she'd closed the door to his room, the boy was already sound asleep. She grinned; children were strange like that. Very resilient and strong on one hand and so fragile on the other.

When she went to bed at ten, she peaked in on Arthur to make sure he was fine. Which of course he was; he was breathing softly and evenly. He was probably dreaming about nice things. There would probably be unpleasant dreams as well, but she would deal with them when they came.

Her own foray into the land of dream was not so easy, though. She found her thoughts occupied by Aaron. She was a little nervous she might show how deep her feelings for the man actually ran, and she wasn't sure what the consequences might be.

When she finally fell asleep, however, her dreams were nothing but peaceful and relaxing. They were filled with sunlight, flowers and a smiling little boy. And Aaron, who was there to watch the smiling boy with her.

_We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. Stacia Tauscher._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The third chapter is here! Two more to go, and this story is finished. That's way too soon, right? But there's a sequel coming, so don't worry! A great many thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed so far, it means a lot to me.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always. And I don't thingk that will ever change.**

**Chapter Three**

_We should not fret for what is pas, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment. Chanakya._

When Erin noticed Aaron pulling into the driveway, she walked into the living room. Arthur was playing there. His crayons were on the table, there was paper everywhere. As always, his elephant was sitting beside him. And Ally, the kitten, was there as well. Since they'd met, Arthur and the cat had been inseparable.

She gently tapped the boy on his shoulder. He immediately looked up from his nearly finished drawing of a horse. He'd been intently working on it for the last half an hour. It wasn't a masterpiece, but to Erin it was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen.

"Aaron and Jack are here," she told Arthur, signing the words as well. The boy bolted for the door, bouncing up and down. He was out of the room before she knew it, disappearing almost like a ghost.

Grinning, Erin followed Arthur towards the front door. It was amazing to see how a child that had experienced such horrors was capable of feeling such joy. She was glad for it, though. He deserved it and it was far better than him being depressed. He would make friends more easily once she got him into an appropriate school.

"Come on, let's open up," she suggested when she caught up with Arthur. The boy beamed, grabbing the door handle and pulling it down. It took some effort, but he managed it on his own.

Erin was a little surprised when she saw a third figure appear as the door swung open. A blond boy she immediately recognized as Henry LaMontagne. He and Jack were both dressed for playing and judging by the bags Aaron was carrying both parents had considered the boys might get dirty.

"It seems we have an extra guest," she smiled, her hands flying through the sky to sign as she spoke.

Henry nodded vigorously, as did Jack and Arthur. She stepped aside to let them all in. Arthur immediately took both other boys' hands and dragged them to the living room. Knowing they would probably have some trouble communicating, she gestured for Aaron to follow. He did so, taking the bags with him.

"I hope you don't mind my bringing Henry. It's just that JJ's sister is in hospital. She'll be fine, but JJ wanted to go see her, and Will didn't want her to drive. Since they didn't have a sitter, I volunteered to look after him. It all happened right before we were meant to leave, else I'd have called you first," he told her.

Erin took the bags from him, depositing them next to the couch. She then sank down onto it. Aaron followed her lead, sitting down so close to her that their legs touched. She barely managed to refrain from reaching out.

Suddenly, it dawned on her that asking Aaron to help her redo one of her children's rooms might not have been a good idea. If they were in close proximity for a prolonged period she might let something slip as to her true feelings for the man. That would undoubtedly complicate the precious friendship she was building with him. And if the mood turned sour, the children would certainly notice.

"It's okay. I said he was free to visit as well, and I meant it. I bet those three will be having loads of fun while we work," she grinned, banishing the less than pleasant thoughts to the back of her mind.

"And we won't be having fun? Come on, some music, the relaxing task of painting, what's not fun about that?" Aaron grinned in return.

She was relieved to see he seemed genuinely humored by being stuck in the same room with her. She might even do as he suggested and play some music while they worked. She had a decent voice, and she liked to hum or sing a little as she did her household chores. She would stick to humming today, though; the thought of singing in front of Aaron was simply too nerve-wracking.

_Erin, Erin! Can we go into the garden, please? Henry and Jack want to play with the ball,_ Arthur suddenly signed as he came over. The two other boys nodded vigorously, their eyes sparkling.

Erin was a little surprised to find the three had somehow managed to have some kind of conversation. As far as she knew, neither one of them knew any sign language. And Arthur could not lip-read that well. However, she was well aware children picked up on body language more easily than adults. Maybe that has something to do with it.

"Okay, off you go. But no going out of the garden. And sign slowly, okay, sweetheart?" she directed at Arthur. "Henry and Jack will more easily understand what you're saying then. And they'll pick up some signs too, so you'll be able to talk more easily."

Henry and Jack seemed to like watching them sign, because they were watching Erin's hands intently as she talked to Arthur and his when he told her he'd be careful. Satisfied they wouldn't get into trouble, she let them leave. They were giggling before they'd even left the house.

"Let's get started on the room. Else, we'll never get enough of it done. We can keep an eye on them through the window there. And I've apple pie in the fridge to lure them back inside," she admitted.

Aaron laughed as she led the way upstairs. She turned around to see the mirth in his eyes; it was there far too little since Beth had disappeared again from his life. Then again, now that she came to think of it, it hadn't been there nearly often enough while she was still around. Perhaps they hadn't been the match made in heaven they'd seemed at first.

The thought caused her both pleasure and pain. Pleasure because the part of her she was desperately trying to ignore was whispering she might stand a chance. Pain because Aaron deserved to be happy. He was a loving, caring man who was also very strong.

When they stepped into Arthur's bedroom, she noticed Aaron's eyes were immediately drawn to the heap of paintbrushes and the likes in the corner.

"Arthur likes green, so I bought two shades of the colour. I also have a few pictures to hang on the wall. One of Superman and another of a monkey playing peek-a-boo. He picked them himself, I wanted him to give the room a personal touch," she explained.

"It seems perfect for a little boy's room. Jack has posters too, and a few drawings he made himself. All right, let's get started. Where do you want me, left or right?" Aaron wanted to know.

Erin handed Aaron his brush and a can of paint before collecting hers. Then, she directed the man to the right side of the room. Part of her wanted to have him paint the same wall so they could meet in the middle, perhaps having their arms brush together as they painted. However, the other part of her realized putting herself into that position would not be a good idea.

As soon as Aaron began to paint, Erin turned on the radio in her bedroom. She had to turn up the volume to hear it in Arthur's room, but it was doable. And it meant she didn't have to drag the radio all the way there.

With the background music on, the painting went very smoothly. Before she knew it, the biggest part of the wall was green instead of the reddish brown Maya had insisted on painting them when she was fifteen. Maya had been quite mature for her age since her teenage years. She also never kept her opinion to herself, which made her a difficult young woman sometimes. Irene was capable of dealing with the most difficult things in a very calm way. And Travis never got angry.

"So how is Arthur doing?" Aaron suddenly asked, dragging her away from her thoughts of her biological children.

"He's doing rather well, considering the situation. He does suffer from nightmares, which means he doesn't get much sleep. But he never refuses to go back to sleep when I come in to reassure him everything will be fine. And besides that, he's fine. He eats well, plays outside and does other things boys his age should do," she said, her voice quivering a little at the thought of Arthur's nightmares.

Aaron turned towards her, leaving the painting for what it was. He'd obviously noticed her sadness over the bad dreams and her inability to take them away. The man was too bloody perceptive, she decided. Then again, it was nice to know someone cared about her. She'd been on her own for far too long. Even David had said that.

Erin was surprised when Aaron took her hand in his, squeezed it and pulled her a little closer to him. She desperately wanted to close the distance between them, tuck herself into him and let the world disappear from around her for a while. The last few days had been very difficult. But she wasn't sure he wanted to hold her. She soon discovered she shouldn't have doubted that.

"Come here, you," Aaron murmured, enveloping her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, closing her eyes. It took so much strength to keep her tears at bay that she shook a little.

Aaron didn't comment on it, though. Instead, he rubbed soothing circles on her back until she felt like she had control of herself again. Reluctantly and slowly she pushed herself at arm's length. Aaron kept one of his hands on her arm, unable to keep it on her back in this new position.

"Thank you. I didn't expect so many old insecurities to raise their ugly heads when I brought Arthur home. But it seems the ghosts of the past have a way of staying with us," she explained her emotional state.

Aaron nodded, gently guiding her to the floor. She let him, listening to the sounds of three boys and a ball bouncing around her back garden. Just like Aaron's soft touches, it calmed her greatly.

"Which insecurities? I've seen you with Arthur enough times over the last seven days to realize you are a great mother. From the first moment you met, you've bonded with each other. What could you possibly be afraid or insecure about?" he wondered.

Erin covered Aaron's hand, which was now resting on her upper leg, with her own. He turned his up, giving her the opportunity to link their fingers together. She was grateful he wasn't pulling back, and she held on tightly.

"Afraid that I'm so busy I won't be there enough for him, just as I was with the first three. Afraid that one of the cases I go out on might get me injured and I won't be able to take care of him, an old fear as well. Afraid that I'm a little too old to give Arthur everything he needs. Scared that Irene, Maya and Travis will think I'm crazy for doing this," she admitted.

She rested her head against Aaron's shoulder. It was so easy to be this open to him, something she hadn't expected. She'd never been very good with words, but it seemed she was good enough with them for him. It helped her feel at ease enough to tell him almost anything.

"I get that. But you'll make time for him whenever you can, you'll take time off when he needs you. That's all every parent can ever do, Erin. And as to your other children… There's a part of you in every one of them. I'm sure they'll understand why you did this. They'll probably love this boy as much just as you do before they head back home after their visit. So don't worry," he gently admonished.

The tears she'd held inside until then finally began to fall. Aaron lifted his right hand, brushing the salty drops away. The gesture was unexpected but very welcome. It was gently as well. She placed her hand on tops of his, forcing him to cup her cheek. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he didn't pull away.

When her breathing was normal once more, she looked into his eyes. They were unjudging, kind and worried. It warmed her heart to see he cared so much.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for being this weepy at the moment. I promise it won't happen again," she said. Her voice was determined, showing how much she meant it. She couldn't afford to be like this. Arthur needed her to be strong, so that was what she would be.

Aaron was quick to shake his head. His hand never left her cheek as he did that, his thumb caressing her skin lightly. She was pretty sure he didn't realize what he was doing, but she didn't stop him. She couldn't have, even if she'd tried.

"If you keep all those emotions in, you'll make yourself sick. I mean it. And it's normal to be emotional. You didn't plan on adopting a child, it was a quick decision. That's bound to release some emotions. So lean on me and the others. The team will support you, as will I. I… We're here for you," Aaron vowed.

Erin felt a small smile spread across her face. Aaron was right; the team seemed to deal with her rather well since they'd seen her with Arthur. Especially Spencer Reid. He seemed to have taken a liking to her since she'd called him sweetie on the jet. Maybe it wouldn't been so bad to ask them for help once in a while.

Finally, Erin pulled away from Aaron. They had work to do, and she was becoming a little too comfortable in his arms. But as he lowered his hand, his thumb brushed against her lower lip. Her sharp intake of breath was bound to tell the man exactly what effect he was having on her.

His eyes flickered to her mouth and back to her own blue eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest and her eyes fluttered close of their own volition when he repeated the move. She could feel him move closer to her, his hips coming to rest against hers.

"Erin…" he whispered, barely audible. It was clear he was asking for something. Permission to kiss her, perhaps. Or the words that would tell him what she wanted. She didn't know what it was, so she kept silent.

Suddenly, she heard the back door slam shut and three sets of feet ran up the stairs. Within a second both Aaron and she had taken a step back. The electricity was still in the air, but when the three boys entered Arthur's room they were on different sides of it and finishing the paint job.

Erin was the first to turn around, a smile plastered on her face. She was sure it would be obvious it was fake, but none of the children commented on it.

"What's the matter, monkey?" she asked Arthur. She'd started using the pet name when she discovered on his first day at her house they were his favourite kind of animal. He'd liked it immediately, so she planned on using the pet name for as long as he'd let her.

"We're hungry," Henry answered. Arthur signed the same thing at the same time. This was the second time that day the boys had managed to communicate with each other despite not knowing sign language. Probably more, even, considering they'd been playing outside for hours.

That was very understandable. Fortunately, she had made spaghetti sauce yesterday. The only thing she needed to do was boil the pasta.

"Okay, let's get some dinner than. It won't take long. And we have dessert too. Apple pie," she revealed.

Henry cheered, as did the other two. Smiling, she put down the brush and placed the lid on her can of paint. She could hear Aaron following her example. When she looked up, he smiled at her.

It made her feel somewhat calmer. Whatever had happened before wasn't going to affect them in a bad way, she was sure of that now. So she extended her hands so Henry and Arthur could each take one as Jack did the same to his father.

"Go ahead and colour a little while Aaron and I get dinner ready," Erin suggested when they were downstairs. The boys took her advice and disappeared, Arthur leading the way and holding Henry's hand.

Erin in turn led Aaron into the kitchen. She quickly got a pot out and took the pasta out of the cupboard as well. When she turned around, Aaron was walking towards the sink to fill the pot with water.

She caught herself staring at him and quickly focused on setting the table. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the food to be ready and the boys to come in. Else, her thoughts might have led her to places she shouldn't be in.

Dinner passed in relative silence, which came as no surprise to her. Henry was obviously tired, Jack was a little less energetic and Arthur would be sleeping very well later too. Her heart swelled with joy at the knowledge they'd all enjoyed themselves today. JJ might warm up to her even more if Henry told her how much fun he'd had. And she'd see more of Aaron if Jack wanted to come over more often.

By the time they were all done, it was seven already. Henry was yawning, so Aaron suggested they head home. It would be a perfect time to tuck them in when they arrived, and he said it would give Erin and himself a moment to themselves when the children were in bed.

"All right, say bye to miss Erin," Aaron said when they were at the front door. Henry was on his hip, looking quite comfortable with his head on the man's shoulder. He was the first to speak, though.

"Bye, miss Erin. I had loads of fun today," he said, smiling brilliantly.

Erin tapped his nose lightly, making him giggle. He didn't lift his head, however, which indicated just how tired he was.

"Yes, I had a lot of fun too. Can we do this again soon, miss Erin?" Jack asked, smiling at her just as brightly as Henry had.

Aaron chuckled at his son's antics, looking at Erin with a twinkle in his eyes. Erin was sure the same twinkle was in her eyes, she understood he liked the fact his son had made a new friend.

"If Henry's mum and your dad are okay with it, we can certainly do this again real soon," Erin told Jack. It was good enough for him, apparently, because he had nothing more to say. He simply nodded approvingly.

"I'd absolutely like to do this again soon," Aaron said lowly.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he bent forward, pressing his lips to her cheek for a second. Then, he turned around and took Henry and Jack to the car.

Erin stared at the man, unsure of what had just happened. The moment she'd thought he was going to kiss her combined with what had just happened was making her head spin. Was Aaron interested in her? Was that why he'd kissed her cheek? Or was she reading too much into this?

Those questions were still on her mind when she slipped into bed at eleven, after checking on Arthur one last time. And even in her dreams, she couldn't stop looking for the answer.

_It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. William Shakespeare._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sad to say this story is almost finished now. I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! For all my loyal readers and reviewers: thank you so much for sticking with me! You guys always make my day!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Criminal Minds does not belong to me. Nor will it ever, I'm afraid.**

**Chapter Four**

_While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. Angela Schwindt._

Erin pulled her cardigan tighter around her as she watched the driveway. She was shivering a little despite the fact the heating was on. But she didn't think it had anything to do with the temperature, be it inside or out. The nerves were the reason she was feeling like this.

"So this is where you disappeared to. Are you okay?" Aaron's soft voice suddenly reached her ear, indicating the man was in the doorway. She should have heard him long before, but she'd been too preoccupied.

She turned towards him, just in time to see him approach her. He was looking at her worriedly. She supposed she should be grateful Jack wasn't with him; the boy really liked her, it seemed. When she'd called Aaron to ask whether he thought the team would like to visit to help introduce Arthur to her other children, Jack had wanted to talk to her and wish her goodnight.

"I'm fine. Just a little scared. But that'll get better as soon as my oldest children arrive. Irene's driving everyone so they can arrive at the same time. She thought that might be easier on Arthur, seeing as all the fuss will be over more quickly that way. She giggled when I said it was sweet of her to put his best interests first," she said, smiling a little as she remembered the conversation.

Aaron placed his hand on the small of her back, and she went without complaint when she pulled her into his side. They still hadn't talked about what had happened when he'd come over to paint, or why, but she was glad when she called him and nothing seemed to have changed between them.

Not that she didn't want things to change between them. She really wanted to be more than friends. Since she'd gotten closer to Aaron after Haley's death and then because of her fight against alcohol, she'd realized she wanted him in her life every day. But he'd never made a single move she could see as an indication he wanted the same until that day in Arthur's bedroom.

And he hadn't done anything like that since. Not that there had been many opportunities. They'd seen each other every day, but on a work related basis. The only time they'd been alone was when she'd called him into her office to talk to him about the latest case the team had dealt with. The only kind of personal interaction they'd had was on the phone and it wasn't possible to touch someone over the phone.

"It'll be fine. They'll love Arthur. And they love you, so even if they think it's odd, they'll accept you've started the procedure to adopt him. Now come on, enough of this. Spencer's worried about you. As are the others. You've grown on them," he teased, taking her hand in his.

She relished the touch, letting him guide her into the living room. She could feel everyone looking at their hands when they entered, but she ignored it. No one commented on it, and she was grateful for it. She wasn't sure she would want to know how Aaron would explain this. And she knew she wouldn't be able to.

She was saved from having to do that as her children pulled up on the driveway. Aaron loosened his grip on her hand, but he didn't let go. As she tightened hers, she prayed he'd understand what she was asking of him. He did, because he nodded once and followed her to the door.

"Mama!" Maya called, flinging herself at her mother as soon as the door was open. She embraced her tightly, holding her daughter like she hadn't had a chance to do in months.

Her other two were more moderate in their greetings, but no less sincere. Irene stepped in after her sister, opening her arms for her mother to step in. Erin did so, a smile on her face at a move that was so like Irene she could have predicted it.

"It's good to be home," Irene admitted when she stepped back. She looked so much like a younger version of herself that Erin found it difficult not to get overly emotional. Instead, she motioned Irene to the side so she could focus on Travis.

Her oldest son smiled his million watt smile when he crushed her against his chest. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, and she could hear Aaron's echoing laughter. Travis had been the most introvert of her children until he started school. Then, he'd become a lot more like his sisters. At moments like this, she was most grateful for his capacity to show how much he cared.

"All right, come on. Where's my new little brother? Don't tell me you've hidden him now that I've come all this way to meet him," Travis joked when he let go of her.

"He's playing in the back garden with Henry and my son, Jack. I bet he'll be pleased to finally see you too. Your mother said he's been asking her about all three of you every day since she told him you were coming," Aaron grinned.

Irene and Maya exchanged glances, but Travis merely smiled. Then, he took his sisters by the arm and led them away. Erin and Aaron followed. Not that Erin was worried things wouldn't go smoothly now that she'd seen they were all pretty excited to meet Arthur. She just wanted to be there to translate.

Henry and Jack noticed the three newcomers first. They pulled Arthur's arm to get his attention, which worked like a charm. Soon enough they were standing in front of Irene, Maya and Travis.

"Hi there," Maya said as she crouched down. Irene and Travis lowered themselves to the ground as well.

Jack came to stand between Erin and Aaron. Henry followed soon. She noticed he wasn't scared, he was probably just following the other boy's example. She picked him up anyway. He embraced her with one arm as Jack took a hold of her free hand. A quick glance down revealed he was holding his father's hand as well.

Arthur brought his hands up and started to sign. Since Erin had told him other people could find it difficult to understand him if he signed too quickly, he went a lot slower than he would have if she'd been in front of him.

"He says he's glad to meet you. He wants to know whether he can call you his brother and sisters," she translated. The words made it hard to swallow for a second. She'd known it would be easier to accept her oldest three as his siblings than it would be to call her his mother, as he'd never had any siblings. But that he was doing this so readily was very emotional.

"Tell you what, kiddo: we're fine with that if you are," Travis told the boy, and the girls nodded. Erin had the let go of Jack's hand to press hers against her mouth. She'd expected it to take a lot longer for her children to accept the new addition to the family, and now they were getting along fine already.

All of a sudden, Jack turned up on her other side. He rested his head on her leg when he came to a halt in front of her. Aaron put his arm around her, pulling her closer. She realized they'd both caught up on the emotional turmoil she was in and wanted to help her. She was a little nervous being this close to someone with her children present, but she liked the support too much to complain. And Aaron too, for that matter.

Arthur kept his arms around Maya's neck when the younger ones straightened up, so she shuffled him around to make sure she could carry him. Irene pointed at the house, wordlessly asking whether they should go in. Her eyes lingered on the way Erin was being held by Aaron, but there was no malice there.

Erin nodded her agreement, carrying Henry and letting Jack hold onto her as they stepped inside. Aaron's arm never disappeared from around her and she was becoming more and more comfortable with that. She wasn't sure it was the best thing, but she knew she couldn't help it.

"Hey, little man! You look like you've found a perfect seat on miss Erin's hip. I guess that means mommy can sit on my lap," Will LaMontagne joked when they entered and Henry was still in her arms.

"Yes! And switch later!" he declared, earning himself a concert of giggles. He did request to be put on the ground so he could play some more, though, so Erin let go of him. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was gone.

As soon as Jack and Arthur noticed that, they followed in his footsteps. Aaron guided her to the couch Spencer was on. Alex was in the chair next to it, but she hadn't said anything bad since she'd arrived. Therefore, Erin sat down without complaining. And Aaron sank down next to her, taking her hand in his straight away.

The man was being very touchy-feely tonight, she thought. But so was she, as she'd held his hand until the rest of the team arrived and had leant into him a few times when they were there already. Maybe that was the reason, he might feel as if she needed the touched and he was giving them to her as a friend.

There wasn't too much time to speculate on that, though, as she had to introduce her children to everyone but David. It didn't take her too long to do that, however. Spencer was a little uncomfortable, but when Travis remarked it was cool to know a genius, the doctor relaxed.

Erin noticed Alex looking at the man from the corner of her eye every few minutes. She also leaned in closer when she realized Spencer was feeling unsure. Erin understood there were probably some deeper feelings there than friendship. She wasn't sure Spencer got that, but she was sure that he would eventually. And when he did, she would support them. Alex was a good woman and they'd make a wonderful pair.

"I'm glad mom has found such a great group of friends. She's been on her own way too often. Even with dad around she didn't get to see enough people. And with a little one here, things will get hectic, I imagine. I mean, we were little terrors when we were Arthur's age," Maya suddenly said, surprising Erin.

Travis and Irene laughed out loud at that. Erin joined in as well, knowing why they found Maya's words so funny. When she managed to control herself enough to speak again, she found Aaron looking at her with the same kind of glee in his eyes that she was feeling.

"Little terrors is a little bit of an exaggeration. You were active and I was running after you three a lot, but you never did anything bad. Not even when you hit puberty. You got a little mouthy and broke curfew a few times, but that's it. I'm just hoping I'll be as lucky with this one," she smiled at them.

"I bet you will be. He seems to be a very lovable, sweet kid. If you go about it the same way you did with us, he'll stay like that. I'm sure of it," Irene told her mother, reaching over to clasp her hand.

Erin settled back after that to watch the people around her talk. Spencer let Alex lead him into his conversations, more at ease like that then when he had to start a conversation himself. Aaron talked to everyone, never letting go of her. But maybe that was because she made no attempt to let go either. David touched upon childhood memories of her eldest three, eliciting giggles and blushes. JJ talked about Henry and her wedding, not excluding anyone.

Soon enough, Erin informed everyone it was time to sit down at the table. She excused herself to finish a few things before dinner could be served, and Aaron simply tagged along for the ride. She'd thought he'd stay with the others, but she wasn't about to complain. Perhaps they'd be able to talk some more.

In the end, they didn't talk about anything important. The only words they exchanged were instructions to heat up dishes or add spices to another. But as always, they worked well together and the silences in between were not tense. So the experience only served to remind her they were still the same as they'd been before whatever had happened in Arthur's room.

Dinner passed by quickly, with the children and the resident genius being the center of attention. Henry loved to make Spencer do all kinds of magic tricks and Jack and Arthur were so interested they nearly forgot to eat. With a little encouragement from Erin and Aaron they eventually finished their plates, though.

"You guys should talk some more while I go and do the dishes. I hope you'll forgive me, but I don't fancy having to do them tomorrow," she explained.

"I'll help. You shouldn't have to do all of the work on your own," Travis said, getting up before she could protest. He immediately took his and Arthur's plates to the kitchen, leaving her to take hers and two others in the first round.

The rest of the team helped collect all the dishes, making it easier for them to carry them into the kitchen in two runs. After that, they began to talk. The subject was unclear to her, as she couldn't hear a thing they were saying. It didn't matter, though; she was certain the people in her dining room got along perfectly well.

"So how long have you and Aaron been together?" Travis asked, looking at the still open door the make sure no one could hear them. There was genuine interest in his voice, and no judging or angry undertone to it.

Erin spun around very quickly when he spoke, dropping the towel as she did that. Of all the things her son could have asked her, this was completely unexpected. Her mouth opened and closed unsuccessfully a couple of times before she finally managed to form a proper sentence.

"We're not together, Travis. We're good friends. Yes, we're very comfortable around each other, but we're just friend," she said. It was the truth, no matter how much she wished the truth was different.

Travis looked at her, one of his eyebrows nearly disappearing beneath his hair. It was odd to see him like that, and Erin couldn't help but bite her bottom lip. Something was going on. Did Travis think she'd lied to him? Was something else the matter? The nerves were back in full force now.

"Well, if you aren't together yet you should ask him out. You've been looking at him all evening, and he's been doing the same thing. You've been letting him guide you when you were nervous. And he seems to know you rather well. Irene and Maya noticed that too. I mean it, don't throw away your chance on love. Dad might have screwed you over big time, but that was two years ago. You can't close off your heart forever. And Aaron seems like a wonderful guy. You should go for it," Travis told her.

Erin didn't know what to say. It was touching that her children were looking out for her welfare, that they thought she deserved another love. It meant the world to her. But words failed her miserably, as none of them seemed capable of expressing exactly what she wanted to say.

"He's right, you know. Love isn't easy for people who do the things we do. You and Aaron both get that. You'd understand each other better than someone who can't be told what you do. And I bet Aaron wouldn't be averse to starting a relationship. You don't have to be a profiler to see that."

It was Alex who spoke those words, making Erin turn towards her instantly. Alex's brown eyes were incredibly kind in that instant. It was obvious she wasn't completely fine with what had happened between Erin and herself all those years ago, but it was a sign there might still be hope.

"You should spend some time with the others. Your sisters are missing you and I think Arthur's decided you're his favourite sibling, because he's asking for you. I'll help your mom a little," Alex said.

Travis stepped away from the sink and made his way towards the dining room. Alex moved closer to Erin, which made the older woman pick up the towel again. Alex took it from her, though, settling more comfortably against the kitchen cabinet. Erin followed her example, but used the table so she could look at Alex properly.

"Thank you. I know you've begun to see the team as your family, and it means a lot to me that you think I would be a suitable partner for Aaron. I'm not sure he would feel the same way, though, not even after everything you just said. He might not think it would be a good idea to be more than friends considering he has a son of his own to think of," she softly said.

It was weird to let this insecurity shine through in a conversation with Alex, but if anything she knew the woman could be trusted. She would never try to get back at her for 'cutting the rope', as she'd called it; Alex was too good a person to do that.

"You won't know unless you ask him to go to the movies or spend a night here without the kids. You know that. And I'm pretty sure it'll all be worth it," Alex smiled.

Erin smiled too. Alex was right; she would have to put herself out there to see where this would go. Else, she'd only keep wondering what might have happened if she had taken the chance. And that wouldn't do her any good.

"All right, I'll ask him out. On one condition, though. You ask Spencer out as well," Erin said, daring to let the mischief sparkle in her eyes.

Alex's mouth literally dropped open, and Erin was relaxed enough around the woman now to laugh out loud at the sight. Alex didn't take it badly; she probably understood what was so funny.

"You've been supporting him all evening, you've been leaning into each other every chance you got and you've both been staring at each other with heart in your eyes. I promise I'll keep it under wraps. You won't get any grief if you get together. I know it won't hurt the team and you'll both be professional enough to let your partner do their work," Erin told her.

Alex didn't say anything. Instead, she reached over and took Erin's hand in hers. Erin squeezed her fingers lightly.

"It's a deal," Alex whispered barely audibly. Erin was glad to hear it. She was certain Spencer Reid would prove to be exactly what Alex needed, and vice versa.

When the women appeared in the dining room again after finishing the dishes, Erin linked her fingers with Aaron's without a second thought. Alex was right; it was time she stopped being scared.

And by the radiant look on Aaron's face, she might be in for a very pleasant surprise when she managed to get him on his own.

_I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.__Rosa Parks__._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is the last chapter. As always, it's a strange feeling to finish a story. First and foremost, I want to thank all of my faithful readers and reviewers. I love all of you!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything you recognize. And I still wish I did.**

**Chapter Five**

_Now a soft kiss – Aye, by that kiss, I vow and endless bliss. John Keats._

Erin was not surprised to have her assistant tell her Spencer Reid wanted to see her. She'd never doubted Alex would ask him on a date; it was just a very unexpected coincidence that they'd scheduled their dates for the same day. Word had reached her about that by both Spencer and Alex.

"Send him in, Amanda. I'm sure he wouldn't be here if it wasn't important," she told the younger woman. Amanda wouldn't ask her what the conversation had been about; she would assume it was work-related and that it was none of her business. The latter at least was true.

When Spencer stepped into her office, she immediately noticed how nervous the young genius was. His hands were trembling when he closed the door. His eyes also betrayed his emotional state, and she was glad she wouldn't have to ask him about it. Things would go a lot faster and she'd have more time to help him.

It seemed Spencer had the same idea, because he made his way over to the second chair in her office and dropped down in it. As soon as he was seated, the words began to tumble from his lips.

"I don't know what to wear tonight. I don't have anything but the clothes I wear for work. What if Alex discovers she doesn't like me? I don't want to ruin everything," he gushed out so fast it was difficult to distinguish the separate words.

Erin held up her hands, effectively silencing the young profiler. She let the silence linger for another few seconds before she spoke, knowing Spencer would realize she was giving him some time to gather his wits about him.

"You won't ruin anything, sweetie. Alex like you a lot, she wants to be with you. You must know she'd never have asked you on a date if she didn't. She's been on your team for a while, she's seen the good, the bad and the ugly. There's no reason to be afraid or to hide. If you're you tonight, she'll be even more convinced you're the one for her. That's how those things usually work," Erin patiently said.

Spencer's composure immediately became less tense. He unclenched his fists and settled in the chair a little more normally. The details that revealed he was still a little worried about the upcoming evening were the ticking of his fingers on the side of the chair and the fact he bit his cheek at irregular intervals.

Erin recognized a lot of her younger self in the man. She'd always doubted she looked good enough for the men in her life. And just like him she hadn't ventured into a lot of romantic liaisons. There had been four in all of her life, one of which was her ex-husband. If Aaron accepted, he would be the fifth and the first since the divorce.

"Thank you. I really needed to hear that. I know JJ or Morgan or even Hotch would have told me the same thing, but it just wouldn't have felt right. I'm not ready to admit I have a crush on someone just yet. And I knew you wouldn't judge me. I hope you don't mind," he mumbled, looking at a point somewhere to her right instead of into her eyes.

Erin extended her hand, touching his wrist with the tips of her fingers. That made him look at her properly and she smiled at him. She was honored Spencer trusted her enough to talk to her, and she knew it wasn't because he saw her as a mother figure; he loved his mom too deeply to do that to her. She was simply a friend. A good friend, apparently.

Spencer turned his hand a little to touch her wrist, showing her his gratitude. As she knew what it meant, she accepted the gesture without demanding the words to go with it. It was something she might not have been able to do before she started fighting her addiction, but she had grown considerably.

"I'm glad I could help. Now, go finish your work. You don't want to be late. I'm sure Alex will find a way to leave a little early too. She'll want to look her best for you. I bet she wants to make sure you like the way she looks just as much as you want to please her in that department," she grinned as she shooed him out of her office.

Spencer gave her a look that was a mixture of mortification and exhilaration before disappearing into the hallway. Fortunately, she managed to keep her emotions in check. It wouldn't do to risk hurting Spencer; he had been through enough in his life already.

Within minutes, Erin was bent over her own paperwork for the day. She signed numerous rapports, read through countless others and sorted the ones that remained into piles to be assigned to different teams. As always, the pictures alone made goose bumps rise on her skin. And the words accompanying them made that ever worse.

Sometimes, she thought she needed a thicker skin. Her years as a profiler before climbing the chain to where she was hadn't provided her with that, and that meant she got affected by the cases rather badly. That had been one of the reasons for her flight into alcohol. Not the only one, but an important one. That was why she'd got psychological help to make sure she could return to her job; despite everything, she felt she could make a difference by doing this job. And that she did not want to give up.

A few hours later, Erin looked up from her last file. It was five already. She would have to head home if she wanted to shower and change before Aaron arrived. They were supposed to meet at seven, but she was sure he would be early. The man always was, after all.

"Amanda, make sure to take whatever calls come in for another thirty minutes. After that, you're free to go, as always. I'll make it up to whoever's feathers I manage to ruffle in the morning," she said as she walked past the younger woman.

She didn't wait for a reply, knowing Amanda would do as she was told. The woman was a miracle when it came to organizing everything. And they'd managed to form a bit of a better connection since Erin had come back.

By half past six, Erin pulled up in her driveway. Irene was tending to Arthur that evening, and despite knowing the boy was in good hands, it was odd not to have him there. Therefore, she took out her phone to text Irene.

Is my monkey doing okay? Is he being nice? Please, tell him I love him. And call me if anything's the matter. Love, mum.

It wasn't much, but it was everything she wanted to say. It took Irene a few minutes to answer, but when she opened the message she quickly discovered why. Irene was still signing rather slowly, and that was all. Irene assured her everything was fine, though, and that she should have fun.

As soon as she was done reading the message, she traveled up to her bedroom. Instantly, she was in front of the closet, looking for something to wear that was Erin instead of Strauss. She wanted to look good, every bit like the woman she really was and not like the woman she was at work. Even if they were closer together now than before, but they still weren't the same. And they never would be.

She eventually settled on a soft peach coloured dress. It was long enough to cover her knees, but only just. It was strapless, something no one at work had ever seen her in. With it, she extracted flesh coloured panty hoses. Those would go well with the dress and they would keep her warm when they went out.

Quickly, she slipped into the shower. She chose her favourite shower gel, one that had roses in it, and washed her hair with a similar shampoo. Her perfume would also have roses in it, so it would all blend together without being overwhelming. Subtle was the way to go, after all.

When she was properly dressed, Erin pulled out an elastic in the same colour as her dress. She pulled her hair back a little and braided it. As she'd expected, a few locks of her hair refused to stay in, but it gave her a relaxed and yet beautiful appearance. At least, she hoped it did.

She applied a soft pink lipstick to her lips and some mascara, but forewent the eye shadow. She wanted to look as natural as possible. It was something that was very her, and for some reason she felt like using more make-up would give her a mask to hide behind. That was the last thing she wanted.

Looking at the clock, she saw that it was ten to seven. Seeing as Aaron would be arriving any minute, she quickly set the table.

"You look absolutely wonderful," Aaron said as soon as his eyes settled on her. She could feel a blush rising in her cheeks, but she couldn't care less; the man probably damn well knew what effect he had on her.

"You don't look half bad yourself," she honestly told him. And he didn't. He didn't look as much like and FBI agent, but more like a man prepared for a proper date. He still wore a shirt, but he had forgone the suit and was dressed in dress pants with a dark blue pull over. He had his jacket draped over his arm.

She took the jacket from him and hung it, gesturing for him to go into the kitchen. When she joined him a few minutes later, he was looking around the room in a way that told her he was rather surprised.

"Are we ordering in?" he asked, making her realize that he'd been looking for her pots and pans. She smiled as she approached him, allowing herself to take his hand to lead him to the table.

"In a way. I picked up fresh sushi from the place around the corner on my way home. I remember you telling me it's one of your favourites, and I like it a lot too. I thought it was safest to go with that," she explained.

Aaron wordlessly nodded his assent, and she got the plates out of the fridge. Everything on them looked delicious, and they dove in straight away. Their hands kept brushing against each other, making her feel like electricity was dancing across her skin. Aaron seemed to feel the same way, judging by the look in his eyes.

As they ate, they talked about the art exposition they were going to visit later. They were both excited; it was another of their common interests. The place was a little out of the way, but it was worth it, she told Aaron.

"I'm sure it will be. I always find art interesting, even if it's not what I expected when I decided to go to a museum or exposition. I guess that's to do with every piece having its own unique story," he said.

After that, it was time to head out. Aaron helped Erin into her jacket, tucking the shawl she put on a little tighter around her. She slipped her gloves into her purse; she might need them despite not really enjoying having to wear gloves.

About half an hour later, they were parked and ready to head to the building the exhibit was in. They still had a ten minute walk ahead, but with Aaron holding her hand, it seemed like they were only outside for half that time.

It didn't take long for them to have their entry cards checked and begin the tour. Erin couldn't help it, but she was soon dragging Aaron towards every painting she found appealing. He grinned at her antics, but let her lead anyway, a smile on his face the entire time.

"Oh, look at that! that one's special, isn't it? What do you see when you look at it?" she asked when they reached a painting that had a shadowy figure against an only slightly lighter background. The figure was looking out of a window at something that was invisible to the one watching the painting. There were accents with other warm colours, so the painting was not scary in itself.

Aaron cocked his head to the side as he pondered her question. She watched him intently, captivated by the way his eyes flickered over the canvas multiple times and he gently bit his own lip as he thought.

"It see you," he eventually said. His voice was so certain it took her breath away for a second. There was no knowing whether the shadowy was even a woman, and still Aaron thought it was her.

He seemed to pick up on that line of thinking, because he drifted a little closer to her. His free hand came up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear as he explained.

"This figure is mysterious, but also very open. You can tell he or she is looking at something and is captivated by it by the way the figures leans towards the window. You're like that too. You're mysterious because you play your cards close to your chest most of the time, but you can never hide it when something's caught your attention. And just like the shadowy figure you only hide from people who don't know you. That's what I like so much about you," Aaron said.

Erin didn't really know what to say. Aaron had picked up on the very core of who she was and had connected it to this painting. She hadn't expected that when she asked him what he saw when he looked at it, and far less did she have the words to thank him.

Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and let her other hand come up to rest on his arm. She hoped it would tell him everything she wanted to convey, because she wasn't sure she'd even be able to form any words. It seemed she succeeded, though, as Aaron softly pressed his lips to the top of her head.

Erin turned her head a little, pressing a kiss to his cheek. It was laced with the same intimacy his kiss had been, and she was sure Aaron would get that. Which was why she pressed herself even closer to him. His arm snuck around her, his hand coming to rest on her abdomen lightly. She covered it with hers, continuing to lead Aaron to the paintings that caught her attention.

Very few words were exchanged between them as they wondered the building. They simply weren't needed. Soft touches were enough to convey gratitude, understanding and love. And both were grateful for it, because even though they knew what they were feeling was love, neither one of them was ready to admit it just yet.

"We should head home. It's getting rather late," Erin suddenly murmured to Aaron. It wasn't that she really wanted to end their evening together. It was more that she knew both Jack and Arthur would be up early the next day. And that she wasn't sure she wouldn't be overstepping boundaries if the evening were to continue for much longer.

Aaron didn't ask her why she wanted to leave. Instead, he led her to the door and into the parking lot. She thought he probably knew what she was thinking. The man was a profiler, after all. And she was being very open towards him, which would make things even easier for him.

Before they reached the car, though, Aaron stopped. They were beside an old oak tree. The lamp post illuminating the area barely shone there, making the spot seem more secluded that it was.

"Look. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Aaron whispered, directing her gaze to the sky. He was behind her, but she still know how he looked as he watched the sky.

The stars were brighter here than they were at her place. The soft sliver of the moon in the sky only added to their allure. The scattered clouds made the entire picture that was presented to her seem mysterious and romantic.

"It is," she agreed. As she spoke, she leant backward, installing herself against Aaron's chest. His hands came to rest on her hips, pulling her flush against him.

After the night they'd had, the feelings she'd struggled with for months before being given this chance and the sheer romance this entire situation was loaded with, she turned around. Her hips now pressed firmly against his, she felt his hand shift to her lower back.

"Aaron," she whispered, letting her eyes flutter close as she felt him lean in closer.

His hands never moved, but his face was so close to hers when he spoke that his breath danced across her lips.

"Tell me what you want, Erin. I don't want to do something you don't want me to do. Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you," he breathed.

Erin rested one her hands over his heart, feeling it beat beneath his clothes. Not bothering to open her eyes, she tilted her head back slightly to make the invitation more clear. She doubted the words she spoke next were really needed, but Aaron had asked for them.

"I want you to kiss me. Please, kiss me," she spoke barely audibly.

And Aaron complied. One of his hands came to rest against her cheek as his lips covered hers. The kiss was soft, sweet and full of promise. It was a kiss unlike any Erin had ever been given. And she kissed with the same gentle sweetness, something she'd never thought she was capable off.

When they broke apart, Erin couldn't help but rest her head on Aaron's shoulder. His kiss had said more than any words could have. She knew herself to be safe and loved in his arms, but now she also knew that whatever the future held, they'd face it together. And they would rise on top.

In that instant, she hoped her kiss had told him the same thing. And if it hadn't, she would just keep kissing him until she managed to get the message across.

_The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a canon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer. Oliver Wendell Holmes._


End file.
